CAMP MERIWETHER SUPER WEEKEND PROGRAM GUIDE Updated January 2015
Do you love Camp Meriwether? Does your unit want a familiar camp to go to for one of their weekend campouts? Do you have scouts that need to finish up merit badges from summer camp? A Super Weekend at Camp Meriwether might be just the thing you need it s a unit campout with summer camp perks! We offer several programs that can be hard for a single unit to organize or instruct. We bring a taste of summer camp into the off-season, which gives your scouts the chance to learn new skills, work on partial merit badges, and have fun! This guide is meant to help you plan for your weekend at camp and to let you know what is offered for you and your scouts, as well as what is expected of you while you are here. THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GET TO CAMP Reservations can be made online or at the Portland council office. The leader who makes your unit s reservation online should receive a call or an email from the Super Weekend Director a few days before you arrive. During that call, the director will let you know what campsite your unit will be in, explain any changes in the expected activities and schedule, and answer any questions you may have. Every unit must have at least two adults at camp at all times. One of those adults must be at least 21, be registered with the unit, and have current Youth Protection training. The other adult(s) must be at least 18 years old. Check the weather forecast for the Tillamook area. Coastal weather is more wet than dry, so be ready for rain or at the very least, a heavy, soaking mist. Consider not only people, but supplies as well a small, personal tarp might come in handy to put over gear or sleeping bags to keep the moisture out. Because this is essentially a unit campout, all meals for your unit need to be planned, provided, and prepared by you and your scouts. Come prepared with all the cooking gear and food your unit will need for the weekend. In the winter months the water system in camp is turned off to prevent pipes from freezing and bursting. The Super Weekend Director should know when the system is shut off and let you know during the pre-arrival phone call. Plan on bringing large water coolers or similar containers to store water in at your campsite. Discovery Lodge (aka the Dining Hall) will have running water year-round; stop in at the office to ask for access. Keep in mind that all water for cooking, cleaning, washing hands, drinking, etc., will need to be stored in portable containers, so consider the size of your unit and bring enough containers that you won t spend all weekend walking back and forth for refills. A wagon to transport heavy containers back to your site can be helpful. Camp Meriwether and Camp Clark have a pack it in, pack it out trash policy in the off-season. That means no trash service is available, so your unit will need to be prepared to take any garbage it produces with you when you leave. If you need trash bags, ask at the office. Cancellations or reservation reductions prior to two weeks before a Meriwether Super Weekend will receive a 50% refund. Any cancellations made within two weeks of the Super Weekend will not receive a refund.
GETTING TO CAMP MERIWETHER Make sure to check weather and road reports along your route. Problems due to winter weather, icy roads, and mud slides are common in the Cascade Range during the fall and winter months. From Portland/Vancouver Take Hwy 26 west to Hwy 6 near Banks (left side exit) Take Hwy 6 west to Tillamook From Tillamook, take Hwy 101 south to the turn-off for Sand Lake and Cape Lookout (11 miles) Turn west onto Sand Lake Road and continue to the Meriwether/Clark Reservation entrance (4 miles) From Salem Take Hwy 22 west from Salem Take either Hwy 22 or Hwy 18 to Hwy 101 Take Hwy 101 north to the turn-off for Sand Lake and Cape Lookout Turn west onto Sand Lake Road and continue to the Meriwether/Clark Reservation entrance (4 miles) From the Meriwether/Clark Reservation entrance to the Camp Office At the first fork in the road: There is a small, tan building with several signs - go to the right At the second fork in the road: Go to the left, following signs that say Meriwether and Deliveries Continue on main road, which will eventually go into a valley, around a hairpin turn, and up a paved hill to Discovery Lodge The Camp Office is in the Lodge 2nd fork 1st fork Discovery Lodge GPS Coordinates 45.19.036 N 123. 57.712 W Super Weekends are staffed by a mix of summer camp staff, volunteer BSA instructors, and members of the Camp- Master program if you get lost or have questions, any of us can help!
ARRIVAL & CHECK-IN The majority of units arrive on Friday evening between 5pm and 9pm. If your unit is planning to arrive at a different time, please let the Director know during the pre-arrival phone call so staff will be available to check in your unit. Check-in will be in the Camp Office on the east side of Discovery Lodge. It s good to have both the adult leader(s) and the SPL or youth leadership present so everyone is on the same page. To check in you will need: Final numbers of adults and youth A council roster with names, ages, and phone numbers of your entire unit a roster form is included in this packet A method of payment for any remaining camp fees LEAVING & CHECK-OUT Check out in the camp office before noon on Sunday. If you are leaving Saturday evening or early on Sunday, please let the staff in the office know ahead of time. Always follow the in-camp speed limit of 5mph. Each unit should have only one vehicle in camp at a time. Before you leave, make sure to: Sweep bunks, adirondaks, and the kybo Store toilet paper in metal storage box in kybo Shut off any water access lines Clean out your fire pit and stack leftover firewood Do a thorough litter sweep Double-check all bunks for missed items If there is anything broken or needing attention, let the staff know at check-out. Remember that there is no off-season trash service, so if you need extra garbage bags, pick some up at the Camp Office. Lost & found is in the Camp Office. Items are only kept at camp for a short time after an event, so if something is missed after your unit gets home, contact camp or the council office as soon as possible. Socks, underwear, and other such items will not be held past the weekend. RULES OF THE ROAD For the safety of our scouts and our staff, we have firm rules about vehicle use in camp. Let the staff know if your unit has someone with a special need that requires the use of a vehicle so we can work with you to safely address that need. In addition to the normal BSA vehicle rules outlined in The Guide to Safe Scouting, there are a few camp-specific vehicle and driving rules as well. Follow camp speed limits - and they are slow 10mph on the gravel road into camp 5mph past the overflow or main parking lots No scouts may ride in the open area in the back of a car or van, in the bed of a pick-up truck, in an enclosed trailer, or on a flatbed trailer. RV s, ATV s, golf carts, dirt bikes, dune buggies, etc., are not allowed on camp property. After check-in, you will be allowed to drive to a spot near your campsite to unload. Plan on one vehicle per unit being allowed in camp at a time. Do not block the road when parked or unloading. There needs to be room for other unit, camp, or emergency vehicles to get by. There are pull-over areas along the main roads use them appropriately. Do not drive any vehicles or trailers into any campsites or program areas. Our water pipes follow our trails and driving over them can cause underground breaks. All vehicles need to be parked in either the main parking lot or the overflow lot for the weekend. Trailers count as vehicles and cannot stay parked along the road or in campsites. Once they are unloaded, please move them to the parking lots with your other vehicles. If you arrive Friday night, please have all vehicles moved before you go to bed. If you arrive Saturday morning, please have all vehicles moved before lunch. Do not leave any valuables visible in your vehicle and bring a lock for your trailer if you plan to keep gear in it.
MEDICAL FORMS, MEDICAL CARE, & MEDICATIONS There will be a certified medic on staff each weekend. The medic will carry a radio and can be reached from either the Camp Office or the Health Office, both of which are on the east side of Discovery Lodge. All scouts and adults need Parts A and B of an up-to-date BSA medical form, complete with appropriate signatures. The forms will not be collected by the staff, but will remain with each unit s leadership. Any scout or leader with an injury or illness needing more than basic first aid will need to be transported to the hospital or urgent care by either their unit s leadership or by ambulance. The unit s leadership will also be responsible for contacting parents/guardians, making treatment decisions if necessary, and maintaining and supplying unit and patient insurance information. The staff is here to support, but not lead that process. Do not bring anyone to camp who has had a fever, vomited, or had diarrhea within the last 48 hours. Those are all common symptoms of several different highly contagious diseases; please do not chance bringing those diseases to camp. Any unit with safe, secure storage may keep its medications in its campsite. If the unit does not have secure storage, the medications must to be stored in the health office. Remember that while your scouts may know to leave medications alone, there will be many other units and scouts in camp. Be honest if you do not have secure storage so we can keep our scouts safe. Any medications needing refrigeration can be stored in the fridge in the health office. Anyone with emergency medication(s) (albuterol, epi pens, nitro, etc.) should keep it with them. If the medication is for a serious issue or is likely to be needed during the weekend, please let the Director or medic know. SPECIAL NEEDS If someone in your unit has a special need or serious condition, please mention it on your reservation, during the pre-arrival phone call, or at check-in. It is important to let the Director or the medic know about special needs or serious medical conditions so they are prepared in the event of an emergency. If participation in certain activities will be affected, let the staff in those areas know so they can keep things running smoothly and safely. If anyone in your unit has a mobility special need, let the Director know as early as possible so campsite assignments can be arranged accordingly. It is much harder to rearrange sites after units have moved in. CPAP users need to have a 12 volt automobile-type battery, an inverter to connect the CPAP machine to the battery, and a plug-in battery charger. A wheeled cart is useful for transporting the battery and charger to charging stations. There are no campsite electrical outlets and the use of generators or extension cords in campsites is not permitted. This type of rechargeable battery set-up is the only viable option for CPAP users. EMERGENCIES AT CAMP If you witness anything you think qualifies as an emergency, let a staff member know immediately. Send another adult or an older scout if you can t go yourself. If you hear the campwide fire siren at any time, report to the flag poles on the west side of the Dining Hall. Gather and organize the members of your unit and await further instruction from camp management. If there is an earthquake or other natural disaster, take shelter and remain where you are until it is over. When it is safe to do so, gather everyone in the area or campsite in a safe place and try to remain calm. Do not attempt to relocate unless your location is unsafe. Staff members will be sent out with instructions as soon as the Director deems it is safe to send them. All camp staffers have received training for camp-wide emergencies. If a staff member comes to your campsite with emergency instructions, follow those instructions exactly and immediately. If possible, bring your car keys and your unit s medical forms when reporting to an emergency meeting spot. If you arrive without them, do not leave to get them unless instructed to by camp management.
CAMP RULES When it comes to fire and fire safety, make safe choices and make sure your scouts do as well. Campsite Campfires Build and keep fires in the metal or stone fire-rings that are already established in each campsite. When lit, the flames should reach no higher than waist-high. The staff has been instructed to put out any unattended fires they come across, so make sure to keep a close eye on your fire. Beach Campfires A campfire on the beach can be a great way for your unit to end a day at Meriwether. However, beach campfires have a tendency to get larger than fires in campsites, so here are a few things to keep in mind: Fires need to be built on the smooth, wet sand below the high-tide line Build fires far away from the base of the bluff and any beach grass, especially if the wind is carrying sparks inland Do not bury your fire drown it! Embers can stay hot a long time under sand, so drown the coals just like you would anywhere else Be mindful of the size of your fire people on fishing boats have been known to report large beach bonfires to the local fire department There are 3 options for firewood at camp FIRE RULES AND SAFETY Bring firewood with you from home Find firewood Collect drift wood, downed branches, fallen trees, unsplit log rounds, and split wood that is in your campsite when you arrive. Don t cut braches (dead or alive) from upright trees, cut down a tree (dead or alive), or use split wood that is not in your campsite. Buy firewood Bundles of firewood can be purchased at the wood shed on the camp road near the shooting ranges. Cash can be deposited in the dropbox on the wall. The money raised helps fund projects and big-ticket items at Meriwether and Clark. Use the buddy system at all times. Be respectful of other units. Keep your scouts and their noise within the boundaries of your campsite after 10pm. Closed-toe shoes are required, except in a tent or adirondak, in the showerhouse, or on the beach. Do not feed, trap, or pet the wild animals. No alcohol or drugs are allowed on camp property. Tobacco (smoked or chewed), e- cigarettes, and e-vaporizers can only be used in the main or overflow parking lots. No fireworks, or personal firearms, ammunition, or items that contain or are operated by gunpowder are allowed on camp property. No objects, tools, or weapons that are normally restricted by the Boy Scouts of America are allowed on camp property. No fires or gas-fueled lanterns or stoves are allowed to be lit inside any adirondak, mini-dak, or tent. No scouts or adult leaders are allowed to wade or swim in the ocean because it is not a designated safeswim area. Also, the jellyfish are enjoying a population boom right now and their stings hurt - a lot. Lake Chamberlain is not open for wading, swimming, or boating unless approved by the Super Weekend Director and the year-round council staff. No pets are allowed on camp property. Leashes do not change this rule.
PROGRAM & ACTIVITIES Most of the Super Weekend staff are registered merit badge counselors. If you have scouts working to complete partial merit badges, bring their partially-completed blue cards to camp. If you cannot find a scout s partial blue card, or a scout is starting a merit badge from scratch, bring a new blue card with the scout s contact information and the unit leader signatures on it. Most of the staff s time will be spent instructing actionbased requirements as opposed to knowledge- or bookbased requirements, so your scouts should try to do any necessary book-learning before they arrive. During a busy weekend, the staff might not have time during open program to test your scout s knowledge or read over a written report, but they can usually meet before or after open program if asked. Shooting Sports During Super Weekends we open Meriwether s rifle, shotgun, and archery ranges for scouts and adult leaders to work on merit badges and to simply enjoy. Shooting Sports tickets work and cost the same as at summer camp and can be purchased in the Trading Post, or in the camp office if the Trading Post is closed. Aquatics Meriwether s Waterfront area is on the shore of Lake Chamberlain at the southern end of camp. It is a beautiful area, with a sandy beach, a dock with swimming areas, and three types of boating to enjoy. It is rare that we are able to open the Waterfront for Super Weekend because in the winter the lake water is too cold to be safe for swimming. However, the waterfront will open in early fall and late spring if the water is warm enough. Lake swimming is considerably different than swimming in a pool, so the BSA swim test must be done at camp. Climbing Members of the council s Climbing Committee run the climbing tower during Super Weekends. Whether your scout (or you!) has climbed for years or has never gone higher than a step-stool, the instructors can help improve your wall-scaling skills! If the weather is bad (rain, icy temperatures, lightning, heavy winds, etc.) it is unsafe to run the climbers on the tower. The climbing staff are experts and have the final say on safety issues in and around the tower. Nature/Campcraft/Handicraft Many of the Super Weekend staff have worked in these traditional camp areas while on summer camp staff. Scouts interested in learning the skills and merit badge requirements normally taught in these areas should ask the staff in the Trail to First Class area for help chances are at least one of staff will be able and happy to teach them. Trail to First Class For your scouts who are still working toward First Class, our staff are available to help teach the skills and knowledge needed for the early levels of rank advancement. We encourage adult leaders and older scouts to help teach the younger and newer scouts in their unit. It can help strengthen ties within the unit and provide leadership opportunities for the older scouts. Just like at summer camp, the staff will not sign off rank requirements in a scout s Scout Handbook because it is ultimately the unit s leadership that accountable for ensuring the scout is ready to advance. Some requirements will take your scouts to various parts of camp (plant identification, compass course, etc.). If you have any questions, please talk to the staff. Trading Post Trading Post hours are on the schedule. Rifle and shotgun tickets can be bought in the camp office when the Trading Post is closed.
Non-Merit-Badge Activities Hike to the Tide Pools The rocky beach at the base of Cape Lookout shelters a collection of tidepools that are the home of sea anemones, starfish, crabs, and small fish. Plan to leave about 2 hours before low tide so there will be plenty of time to enjoy the pools as the tide transitions from going out to coming back in. Troop Campfires There is no organized camp-wide campfire, but if several units want to organize a larger program, the Campfire Bowl is available for a large group to get together. Units can also invite the neighboring campsites to join them at their own campfire. 5-Mile Hike If you have scouts who need to complete the 5-mile hike with map & compass requirement for First Class, let us know. We have a route that has worked well for the summer camp program and we can share it with you. Scouts need to bring their own compass. ADULT LEADER COMMUNICATIONS Cell Service Go up to the bluff behind the Dining Hall or down to the beach for the clearest signal. Internet Wifi is available for adult leaders. Ask in the Camp Office for the password. Rifle $0.35 5 shots $1.00 15 shots Shotgun $0.50 1 shot w/clay Archery Climbing Free Free Beach Clean-Up Whether your unit wants to do a service project or you just want to pick up trash as you walk along the beach, stop by the office for trash bags anything from quart-sized bags to full-sized garbage bags. Just drop the trash at the office on your way back to your campsite the Park Service picks up and covers the disposal costs of trash collected from the beach. Service Projects If your unit would like to do a service project while you re at Meriwether, let us know! If any of your adult leaders have skills to offer (building, fixing, teaching, etc.) and want to offer them for a few hours, let us know that too if we can t put them to work right away, then maybe we ll call on them in the future!
SUPER WEEKEND SCHEDULE* FRIDAY WELCOME TO CAMP! 5-9:00 Check-in at the office (on the east side of the Dining Hall) 17-21:00 SATURDAY 8:30-9:30 Trading Post open 08:30-09:30 8:50 Flag (optional) 08:50 9:00 Rifle Range opens (get tickets at the Trading Post) 09:00 Shotgun Range opens (get tickets at the Trading Post) Archery Range opens (free) Trail to First Class / Campcraft / Nature area opens 9:30 Climbing opens (free) 09:30 12:00 All areas and ranges close 12:00 LUNCH BREAK 1:30-2:30 Trading Post open 13:30-14:30 2:00 All ranges and areas open 14:00 5:00 All ranges and areas close 17:00 DINNER BREAK 5:50 Flag (optional) 17:50 7:00 Rifle and Shotgun cleaning (for MB) in Dining Hall 19:00 SUNDAY 8:30-9:30 Trading Post open 08:30-09:30 8:50 Flag (optional) 08:50 9:00 Rifle Range opens (get tickets at the Trading Post) 09:00 Shotgun Range opens (get tickets at the Trading Post) Archery Range opens (free) Climbing Tower opens (free) Trail to First Class / Campcraft / Nature area opens 11:00 All areas and ranges close 11:00 11-12:00 Units clean campsites and pack up gear 11-12:00 Check-out in the office (on the east side of the Dining Hall) *The Super Weekend Schedule and available programs shown here are subject to change due to weather, available staff, and other factors. An up-to-date schedule will be available upon your arrival at camp.